Improvement in boot-trees



NiTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

A. P. RICHARDSON, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN BOOT-TREES.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, A. P. RICHARnSoN, of Worcester, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvemen ts in Boot- Trees; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figures 1 and 2 represent longitudinal central sections, the latter showing the parts distended to tree the boot-leg. Figs. 3 and et are horizontal sections of the tree on lines A B and C D.

In the drawings, A represents a metal supporting-piece, grooved out in the center, for the reception and proper working of treeingrod B and its connecting parts. To the front of A is permanently fastened the front wooden piece C by screws A B on each side of the groove, while D represents the rear movable piece, which is kept in place laterally by metal flanges E, fastened to the sides of A, one of which is shown in dotted lines in the drawings. The metal part A extends out under the front part, C, as shown at c, and out at each side of the bottom, and has a dovetailed groove in its front side to receive the tonguepiece d, fastened to the rear of the foot lf, and also a groove, c, for the free play of the catch f on the upper end of the tonguepiece d, as the foot-piece is slipped up and down. The metal treeing-rod is sup ported and retained in place by passing through a hole in the top of the metal part A, in connection with having two lateral projections, g g, which slide up and down against the back of the metal part A. Other guides can be used if necessary, and it may be found necessary to have guides similar to g g at the bottom it of the rod, since it has to bear considerable strain. The rod B is kept down in the position shown in Fig. 1 by a spiral spring, t', which rests against a shoulder, j, on rod B, and at the top bears against the metal part A, as fully indicated in the drawings. From the rear side of the metal part A project two ears, one on each side of the groove, and between which the upper end of rod 7c is hinged, the lower forked end of la being hinged to the cam l, which in turn is hinged at its front end to the lower end of rod B, as clearly indicated in the drawings. The rear hooked end of earn` Z works in the concave of the metal piece G, fastened to the rear piece, D, its hook encircling pin m, which passes through the sides of Gr.

It will be seen that when the rod B is withdrawn, the hooked end of cam l is forced ont against the metal concave C, thereby forcing the part D out, as indicated in Fig. 2, and when rod B is allowed to go back, its hooked end, acting on pin m, draws part D back into the position shown in Fig. l.

In order to prevent the tree from being pulled out of the boot prematurely, a catchlever, a, is hinged at o between ears on the front of A with its rear curved end resting on the front of rod B and being held thereto by a spring, p, fastened to rod B.

When the boot-tree is being used, and rod B is withdrawn, the upper end of lever n is forced forward and its lower end back, thereby locking with the catch or hook on the footpiece. (See Fig. 2.) When, however, rod B is allowed to return, the lower end of lever a is forced out, as seen in Fig. 1, thereby permitting the withdrawal of all the parts but the foot-piece, which can be easily withdrawn thereafter.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of the hooked cam m with rod B and the movable part D, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of catch-lever n with the foot piece and rod B and movable part D, substantially as set forth.

A. P. RICHARDSON.

Witnesses JAMES BROWN, L. L. BARNES. 

